Lucid (SS)
by Trumpa2000
Summary: Realistic AU: The wild has grown dangerous. Unova's once thriving cities are now at mercy to some unknown cause. Death prevails innocent lives. Casey has become the hero of the now helpless Driftveil City, each night venturing out into the wildlands in hopes of bringing back a meal for his loved community, knowing that one night, he may never return.


AN: Alright, first attempt at a Pokemon fic. I had a lot of fun writing this, and I plan to write more. Any and all criticism is greatly appreciated to help this newer writer grow! Enjoy my random thoughts at a darker, more corrupt Pokemon universe!

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"Okay. I'm headed out now."

"Please be safe. I want to see you tonight." She appeared old and frail, helpless.

"I always come back, mom. You know that."

"I know." Her tone was reluctant.

"See you soon." Casey smiled, and his mother forced a genuine smile in a return. With one final glance, Casey gently pushed the creaky wooden door to a close.

She was right, though. It was dangerous out there, especially when the sky was only illuminated by skatter sparkles and a delicate moon. The wild had grown dangerous. So dangerous, few people would leave the confines of their home during the night or day. Starvation had taken countless lives. People were afraid to hunt for necessary food. Crops could not be harvested before the wild creatures had taken them to their own appetite, and the ability to fish had become quite scarce due to the over consumption of ocean-caught pokemon. Night hunting had become the only source to feed the once thriving Driftveil City. Recently, however, it had become a job of only pure heroism. The wild creatures had become just too dangerous for the average hunter, and Casey was one of the last who dared to wander into the fear of the nighttime wilds.

It did not used to be like this. Driftveil, along with the rest of Unova, thrived in their own special way. Not anymore. Something had happened, but Casey did not know what, nor did any other civilians. He wondered if anyone even knew what caused such uproar in Unova's wildlands. Surely, someone or something could bring the region back to control. Or maybe not.

But right now, Casey had to do what he could. He stopped just before the city's border, glancing outside where only the moon's light showed. It was dark and cold out there. Fear resonated through the tall grasses that flowed with the bitter night's breeze. The lush trees tucked away the red and yellow eyes that could see through the dark like it was day. Casey stopped here every night, glancing out, wondering if tonight would be his last night. Because for many, it had been their last night. So many selfless trainers would stop here like Casey, pondering the same thoughts, but they would still continue into the darkness. And so many selfless trainers, ones with families and friends alike, would not return, lost to the threats that awaited in the wildlands. Casey, as always, would follow into the darkness, and he would not stop until he, too, did not return.

He walked past the border into the grass. Luckily for the citizens, it was a long distance to reach the deepest dangers of the over inhabited wild. Unlucky for casey, he had to walk several miles in both directions to recover his hunt for the night.

Casey reached for his belt releasing his two companions in a bright flash of light. To his left slithered a green regal snake with deep crimson eyes that could see through any soul. His other side was accompanied by a dark feline pokemon coated in yellow rings that resonated like moonlight. Serperior and Umbreon were loyal and skillfully trained, and could stalk any creature in the night. Almost any.

Casey knew one day he would not make the journey back. The wild pokemon grew stronger day by day, and there was yet a hint at stopping them. The elite four were run out by hordes of wild pokemon; victory road was home to some of the most powerful creatures in the region. And with the recent outbreak of wild pokemon population, growth, and intelligence, not even the Unova's four strongest trainers could grasp the dangers. Was there really no one who knew why?—a question that Casey commonly asked himself.

The darkness and cool breeze grew as Casey neared his intended destination, the area he deemed the safest. All of a sudden, Casey felt his body stiffen. He froze. Serperior and Umbreon responded in the ready position, lethal if they pounced at the right time. Instead, silence filled, nothing except the cool breeze now turned to a shivering wind. They pressed on.

After a number of hours it took to reach the hunting spot, nothing had appeared. Not even the occasional lost Pidove or undersized Foongus. Strange. Casey, flanked by his two companions, waited within the brush. He did not expect to spend the amount of time there that he did. Hours passed. Something was wrong. Where were all the pokemon? By then he had at least ran into some sort of life. Maybe they had been attacked? Or, maybe they were hiding, waiting for the right time. They did seem to get smarter by the day. Or, maybe the creatures had ventured toward the town, using Casey's trail to sneak back to Driftveil. Drunken thoughts and visions flushed through Casey's head. He had been waiting too long, and the sun had begun to peak threw the thick collection of treetops in an early sunrise. The choice was clear, so he headed back to town empty handed.

"Where are the all the pokemon?" Casey aimlessly questioned to his pokemon, as they all made the extensive journey back. An obvious silence pervaded from his two pokemon, but Umbreon acknowledged Casey's concern with a gentle brush against Casey's leg.

As if out of rejoinder, four large pokemon appeared from the the trees. Instinct commanded both Serperior and Umbreon; they flew at their new opponents. Casey's face dropped in awe, but quickly examining his situation, his expression became fierce. He focused his attention to Umbreon, mid leap toward one of the oversized pokemon. And out of Casey's silent communication, Umbreon's body glowed a dark crimson, lighting the dusk sky with red energy. The larger pokemon ducked to dodge, but Umbreon's speed pervaded slamming into thick titanium-hard scales with a powerful Feint Attack, leaving a cloud of dark energy and dust at the potential wound. The pokemon wailed in a dragon-like roar.

Meanwhile, Serperior had wrapped itself around the left-most pokemon. It, too, was unbearably large. The pokemon had leathery, wing-like protrusions on its back; large spikes covered its body. A Druddigon? Though Serperior had managed to trap the pokemon's actions, it did not last long. The neighboring opponent pokemon clashed against Serperior forcing it to release its captured prey from its tight grasp.

The battlefield cleared from Umbreon's pervious attack revealing the largest dragon that Umbreon landed against. A Haxorus, Case noted, a rare pokemon even in Unova from where it originates. What was a Haxorus doing out in route 6? Casey further examined the Haxorus. It stood strong and confident and completely unscathed by Umbreon's Feint Attack. How the—

Suddenly, Haxorus, along with the other two pokemon Casey noted to be an Altaria and Flygon, charged toward Serperior and Umbreon. The two hovering pokemon, Altaria and Flygon, light up in a deep electric blue, and Haxorus' claw came at Umbreon also supercharged in blue energy. Casey's pokemon found no choice but to try and dodge. Flygon and Altaria released a combined dragon pulse that hurled toward Serperior, nearly clipping the snake's long tail. Umbreon leaped in similar excellent speed out of the direct line of Haxorus' straight path, but the towering dragon knew better and anticipated the maneuver. A Dragon claw pierced into Umbreon's side invoking an audible hiss that echoed like a scream.

"Umbreon!" Casey yelled in terror.

Casey observed his dark feline companion. Two long lasherations stretched across the side of its sleek body, drools of blood beginning to crawl out like an infective creature. Still, Umbreon quickly managed to recover, standing on all four limbs again. More ruthless than before, Umbreon, without command, hunkered down glowing with rage-filled power. Within only a couple of seconds, a wave of gaseous darkness shot out from Umbreon's enraged body, flying directly toward its aggressor. Serperior, quick to follow, had already charged up lethal Leaf Blade also headed straight for the over-confident Haxorus. Haxorus' allies breach from their positions attempting to save Haxorus such a blow. Each glowed with that mystical energy that all pokemon possess, releasing well timed dragon attacks at their enemy. But all were too slow for the unmatched speed of Casey's well-abled pokemon.

Haxorus' oversized body flanks to the side, natural instinct even for such a large bulky pokemon. Even with the attempt to evade, Umbreon's rush of a Dark Pulse and Serperior's green glowing body smash and slice straight into Haxorus' body. The immense sound of the impact, a loud crackle and crunch, reach Casey's ear in a way that brought a shiver up his spine. Again, plumes of the impact fill the battlefield leaving all on it obvious to sight for several seconds.

The field clears. Casey quickly reanalysis the situation. All four pokemon still stand in formation. All four. Casey almost gasps at the damage done to Haxorus: none. Even when both his pokemon attacked with their mightiest strengths in unison, nothing. For a moment, as the the clouds of energy continue to dissipate, Casey only stares. The opposing pokemon had ceased from attacking. Casey squinted to see closer; a well built, tall man with thick milky white hair and matching heavily-styled facial hair stood just to the rear opening of the four unnatural monsters.

The man stepped forward, walking into the battlefield as he recognized Casey's eye contact.

"Hello, Casey. My name is Drayden Shaga, gym leader of Opelucid City," his voice was powerful and slightly deep, "as well founder of the secret project Lucid. I was informed of your innate abilities and heroism by one of my private associates, so I came to see for myself."

What the hell? Project Lucid? What the hell is that? And why the fuck was Drayden, the leader of Opelucid, out here in the middle of the night?

"You're quite the curious one, aren't you?"

Casey Grunted his teeth. "Serperior! Umbr—"

"Oh, I wouldn't bother. As you have probably observed, the wild pokemon around here are quite inordinately powerful, growing stronger by the second. My Haxorus and other pokemon are a near completed phase of that. Project Lucid. ...There's your answer to one of your questions."

"Why are you here then!?" Casey yelled back with only some control of his fear and anger.

"Oh, yes. As I previously stated, I am here to witness you, Casey. This secret project I have created has gone quite out of hand, and I—"

"No shit it has!" Casey interrupted.

"If you would let me finish," Drayden said with a smooth tone, "I am in need of someone with your abilities and public heroism to help me cover up my...situation."

Casey felt the curiosity ring through his body, probably just as Drayden wanted it to, but hatred and fear still rung deep within his bones. This man was cause of all this...masacre?

"I need to touch up a few more elements in this experiment, but it is rather complete. As for the clean up, I have found a probable solution to containing the raging wild pokemon, but I am simply unable to execute it myself, nor are my close associates. It would be too suspicious of me, and I, then, may be accused of causing the outbreak. And that is where you come in, Casey."

Drayden flashed a deadly smile at Casey, evil yet charming like he had practiced it in the mirror on a daily occurance. Casey winced a little. Surely he was not about to offer Casey the duty of cleaning up the man's disaster and then expect him to hide away the whole situation like it was nothing. Millions of people have died over this. Countless pokemon lives have been stolen away for this science project. Unova was at mercy to this two-faced, lonesome killer of a man.

"All you have to do is execute my highly strategic plan, warding down all the dangers in the wildlands, resulting in saved lives and a saved region. I am offering you the Hero of Unova, the saver of the people, and the rebuild of this region that has so unfortunately fallen due to minor mistakes. People will see you as a powerful young trainer, unstoppable to whatever lies ahead, and all you have to agreed to is keeping a small secret, just a little thing from the past."

What happens when I say no? There was a short pause. Casey stiffens slightly.

"And if you disregard my offer," Drayden responds to the silence, "...well...I'm sure your cleverness can apprehend that one."

By now, the sun had risen just enough to wake the sky of its gorgeous light blue form. People in town would be getting up, and daylight creatures would be chirping and bouncing around, if only project Lucid had not taken over the wildlands.

If Casey accepted the offer, he would be more than he had ever dreamed of, a figure of power, diligence, cleverness. Unova would be saved under his jurisdiction, but it would be going against everything his lovely mother taught him a young boy. It would shatter his conscience, shred apart his internal happiness and well being, and fill his mind with toxic lies. All selfish thoughts. But if Casey said no, he would be killed on instant, no mercy spared; at least he would die a true hero.

Casey's heart was racing, fast like a shocking bolt of electricity racing down from a dark sky. And his cold sweat drizzled down his face nearly making him shiver due to the cool morning wind. He took a deep breath. Deep within his own mind, Casey finally looked up, staring deep into the older man's formidable, heartless blue eyes. Silent, besides the nonstop breeze, Drayden only smiled.


End file.
